Who Is Antigone

Who is Antigone?

Antigone’s reliance on gods gives her the strength and perseverance to object the state’s power. Throughout the tragedy, Antigone displays a series of emotions as she is challenged to her mindset and what she believes is right. Due to her reverence towards the gods, Antigone was capable of burying Polyneices regardless of the consequences the state provides. This allowed the challenging of Creon’s power which set the plot of the whole tragedy.
Antigone believes that her duty towards the gods could be fulfilled if she buries Polyneices, as family is more important than the laws of the land. Due to the fact that she is also a woman and closely related to a lost individual, it is considered utterly disrespectful towards the god’s will and her family to not prepare the body and bury it.
Displaying her admiration towards the gods, Antigone disagreed to the law of the state as it is “not the law of Zeus nor the law ordained” (20). The Chorus later confronts Creon that “she won’t relent” because “this wildness in her comes from Oedipus” (21). This implies that Oedipus’ “wildness” passed down to Antigone. Taking into consideration the fact that Oedipus was previously cursed by the gods, Antigone believes that in order to lift the curse on their whole family, she had to become reverent towards them. One method of doing so is by supporting the gods more than the state. In this case, when she objects Creon’s law, she believed that it would satisfy the gods, bringing their family one step closer towards the side of them. Due to her reverence towards the gods, Antigone was given the strength to object Creon’s unofficial law as it is “not the law of Zeus”. Since Zeus was considered the ‘head of gods’ in ancient Greek society, she could be referring to all gods, however, Zeus in particular as he was the most powerful out of them.
After Creon discovers it was Antigone that buries Polyneices, he was full of infuriation that someone had disobeyed the laws of the state.
However, due to Antigone’s loyalty towards the gods, it gave her the strength to argue at Creon on his flawed law. Antigone takes into consideration prior to the argument that the gods will be observing what she says. During the throwing of insults between Creon and Antigone on the burial of Polyneices, Antigone affirms that “religion dictates the burial of the dead” (24). By using the word “dictates”, Antigone informs us that the gods have the empowering and overall decision. She refers to the gods as a “religion” since in order to be on the side of the gods an individual must be faithful therefore it is treated in the sense of a religion. Creon then starts challenging Antigone by mentioning her “brother Eteocles” that “also died in the war” fought between the both of them (23). Creon is attempting to pause Antigone’s thinking by bringing up her other brother Eteocles. This then leads to the point Antigone made in terms of the gods dictating everything as Eteocles’ fortune was brought upon by the gods, and that they dictated
it.
In addition to proving her reverence to the gods by believing in gods before state, Antigone attempts to speak on part of the citizens of Thebes. During the argument between Creon and Antigone, Antigone stated that burying Polyneices was the right thing she had done. In order to lower Creon’s confidence, Antigone attempts to state his place in society that he was king, “and because” he’s “king” he “won’t be contradicted” (23). Antigone implied that Creon would be considered nothing if he wasn’t in the position of king by saying that the people are “just afraid to say it” (23). This then leads to the idea of power and people of high power should be feared of, in the same sense towards gods, which then could suggest that Creon wants to be considered a heavenly individual due to the power he has. “Afraid” is corresponding to that of the citizens as of the consequences of insulting or standing up to such power, however; if Creon didn’t have the power, he would be looked at as being useless.
Antigone is a character that believes in morals strongly, fighting for what she believes is right. Throughout the tragedy, there are many moments where her beliefs were questioned and argued for. However, she relied on the power of the gods to support her throughout the tragedy. Her strength allowed her to persevere and question the laws of the state.